HELP! Vocal Effects Processor?

[T@rgetDrone]

I have an immediate NEED for a decent vocal processor. I don't sing all that great to begin with. But I will be doing a handful of lead vocals and a lot of backup and response vocals. I don't necessarily need things like harmonizers, etc., but do need quick, easy access to delay, reverb, pitch shifts and the like. Also would like the ability to store and easily access 5 or so presets. A floor unit would be optimal so I have more control since I am the farthest away from the PA controls.

I can not and do not wanna spend a grand or even close to that much. I need to do this quick and on the cheap. I'm all but clueless except for what I have read. Recommendations Please!

[Grandturk]

Did you check out the POD X3? it has a XLR input for mics and lots of vocal preamp models and effects. I've never used it for that, but it seems pretty flexible.

[Jack Napalm]

http://www.tc-helicon.com/voicetonecreate.asp

It doesn't have pitch shift but has everything else. Otherwise check out the Digitech stuff.

[Racerx2k]

I use a Digitech Vocal 300 for both live and studio work. Picked it up, used, for $120.

[T@rgetDrone]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions guys. I appreciate it. I went out and test drove some of the Digitech stuff first. Honestly, I was not too impressed even though I wasn't looking for anything elaborate. The Vocal 300 was noisy as hell. Didn't sound all that great either. The Vocalist Live 2 and 4 were OK sounding I guess. But for the price I wasn't going to bite. Maybe if I had a lot more time to tweak them out I would have come to like or love them more?

I ended up ordering a Helicon VoiceLive 2 from (egads) MF. I really have been lucky with them and M123 compared to the horror stories I've heard. Hopefully I will get lucky one more time with this order. The price was acceptable with the Phone Only special they were running. I opted for the 3 year Gold coverage to cover my ass, which was also discounted 15%. The Heli comes with a cheap/mid grade mic and a patchbay thrown in the deal (whoohoo?). Best part is I opted for the 12 month no payments, no interest on my (until then) 3.5 year old Virgin MF credit card.

After trying out the Digitech stuff first, the Heli impressed out of the box. It was an easy choice under the circumstances I purchased. Granted, it has way more than I will ever use, but for what I need it to do, it sounds fucking awesome doing it. ::::crossing fingers it arrives unmolested and holds up for a few years::::

Consider this a public service announcement. If you can hear me, buy ear protection. You WILL be needing it because I WILL be singing!

[Racerx2k]

Really? I don't get noise from mine at all. Maybe a bum unit? I will admit, I was not blown away on it, until I started getting in there, and getting to understand it and tweaking. I love it now, but it wasn't quite the case, at first.

[quiksilver]

I've had both the Digitech Vocalist 2 and the TC Helicon Harmony G. Both were great for the money, but I ended up keeping the TCH. Both offer harmony generation and vocal effects for about $300. The harmonies on both are great. To my ears, the effects on the TCH are better.

[T@rgetDrone]

I thought the effects were better on the Heli over the Vocalist 2 and4 as well. That is why I opted for the Heli.

R2K - I have since been able to try again on a 300 an acquaintance of mine owns. He said he had it stashed away for a while since he upgraded. I mentioned the noise issue and it bugged him enough to dig his out to check it out w/me. He said the same as you... thought if it was that bad then it coulda been a bum unit. I played around w/his presets and made a few of my own right quick. His was not so noisy. Actually it sounded pretty good considering the price. So I gladly recant my previous comment on the 300 model. It can't touch the VoiceLive 2 but it ain't half bad really. If I were on a tighter budget it would probably suit my basic needs. That and the Heli VL2 was on sale.... and my virgin MF card was calling me like a loaded pipe to a crackhead.

[Bert]

For vocals, if you're good, all you need is a little bit of compression and ambience. If you suck (like me), then you need pitch correction as well. Everything else is just gimmicks.

A good quality large diaphragm condensor mic certainly helps too.

[quiksilver]

Wow TD, I just realized you got the larger TCH model. That thing must be amazing. I thought you were only looking at the 3 smaller ones: VoiceTone Correct, Create and Harmony-G, I think.

Hey Bert, as for condenser mics, I have been thinking about getting one as an upgrade from my current SM58. How is a condenser mic better? And is a Shure Beta 87A a good one to get?

[Musician78]

For vocals, if you're good, all you need is a little bit of compression and ambience. If you suck (like me), then you need pitch correction as well. Everything else is just gimmicks.

A good quality large diaphragm condensor mic certainly helps too.

I find that doubling the vocal track, panning each track to one side, starting one track a VERY short time (milliseconds here) before the other, and adding some reverb work wonders at enhancing (disguising) poor vocals. At least when recorded with an SM57...

[Racerx2k]

For vocals, if you're good, all you need is a little bit of compression and ambience. If you suck (like me), then you need pitch correction as well. Everything else is just gimmicks.

A good quality large diaphragm condensor mic certainly helps too.

I wen with the 300 cause I didn't want the pitch correction. I felt like that was cheating. I do like you say: some compression and ambience, but I also do a few little bits of trickery to thicken the vocals a bit, too. Nothing real obvious and crazy. Just subtle enough where it makes a difference. quite a BIT of difference. and I actually program the expression pedal to take out the ambience effects, for talking between songs and stuff. I basically only use two presets: One for live, and the same one for recording, that's modified to silence the outputs when the exp. pedal is kicked back. I also use it to run in-ears, live. I think I paid $120 for mine, used. worth every penny.